


It's Always Been You

by hushtheheckup



Category: Hazbin Hotel (Web Series)
Genre: Backstory, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:28:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23323990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hushtheheckup/pseuds/hushtheheckup
Summary: Husk grew up with the casinos of Vegas, and made his living there. This is the story of how he found the joy in life, and a reminder that sometimes true love transcends worlds
Relationships: Arackniss/Husk (Hazbin Hotel)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 48





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was meant to be one chapter, but I got carried away so now it's split up. A gift for the amazing Mun Taca as an apology for the angst before

_Soulmates are connected, through time and space._

* * *

When Husk was growing up, he often bounced between families. He never liked the idea of being in a foster home, being traded between people that didn't want him, all while he waited to be found by his "true family". That was complete and utter bullshit, and almost every time, Husk took a few days of being well-fed, stole some cash, and ran off. During those weeks of freedom, before he was inevitably found, he often found himself hanging out in the casinos of his home town. Vegas, of course. He learned quickly how to pick the locks of the back door, where the cameras were at every major location, how to sneak food and alcohol out of the kitchens. Then he'd be found, and kicked out back to his old foster home. Within 24 hours, they'd tell him he was moving again.

It was a miracle when he turned 18, and they couldn't keep him there anymore. Husk may not have had a job, or a home, but he had a few hundred dollars tucked back in his pocket and knowledge of every street corner in the whole goddamn town. And then, he came to a very important realization: Husk was finally old enough to go into a casino legally, and play the games he'd always watched.

Of course, back then, he wasn't known as Husk. It was an 18 year old Charles, with no real last name, that walked into the Rose d'Oro Casino through the front doors for the first time. And this place, this was a slice of heaven. No ringing machines, no flashing lights. Just card games, poker, and dice. Oh, dice were the thing this place was known for. He could smell the familiar smoke in the air, and he could practically taste the expensive whiskey they kept all the way in the back.

"Do you need somethin', kid?"

Charles was snapped out of his daydream for only a second, giving an up and down look to the guard that was glaring at him. He was well aware he didnt look very old, but like hell was that going to stop him. ID, or not, he wasn't being kicked out this time.

"Yeah, I got money. Coming to play. S'there a problem with that?"

The guard stared at him for a few seconds before shrugging and walking off as Charles smirked. That's another benefit of this place: they didn't give two shits about how old you were, so long as you played by the rules.

Dozens of times he's watched people play poker games through the inside cameras of the security room. He'd learned the rules, the strategy, the straight face. So even when the dealer gave him a skeptical look, Charles was confident as he pushed forward all three hundred dollars he had. No chips here. Cold hard cash, or nothing.

Years and years of experience paid off, and Charles doubled his money on the first game. Then the second one. And the third. By that point, people were coming to the table just to add to the stack, because there was six month's rent for some of them on the table. And Charles won every game, heading out with a salute and five grand in his pockets. That'll get him a few nights hotel at least.

Charles didn't go back to that casino every day, but he went often enough to be noticed. It got to the point where he had to hide most of his money in the back alley of the casino, just so no one could pickpocket him like they tried to do so often. Unknown to him, though, the other gamblers weren't the only people watching.

On this particular day, Charles had found himself at the craps table. Next to poker, this was his favorite place to be, because this is where the rose die was always used. Gold and black dice were the icon of the casino, but this one had the one side carved into a detailed rose that was the symbol of the whole family that ran the place. The D'Amico family, to be specific. Everyone knew them, and despite Charles having never seen more than the owner and father walking around, you didn't stay long without hearing stories.

Even in a game of almost luck, he still won nearly every game. Charles was just about to collect his winnings and head out for the day, when another challenger appeared at the other end of the table, glaring at him.

"Sorry, bud, I'm out for the night-"

And he would have been, had this black-haired stranger not tossed down twenty grand on the table.

"How about some double or nothing?"

Their part of the room almost went silent for a few seconds. But hell, what did he really have to lose? Husk just shrugged and matched the bet on the table. "Get ready to lose, pal."

"Wouldn' count on that."

After a few rounds, no one was really surprised when Charles came out on top again. And then the challenger dropped another twenty thousand on the table, and so the game started again. And for the first time in a while, Charles lost.

"Best two out of three?"

It ended up being a best 16 out of 31, evenly matched the entire time, before Charles came out on top, twenty grand up from what he was before. To say the least, he was fairly impressed by this stranger, one that tossed the wad of cash at him with a scoff at the end of it. "Fair enough. Congrats."

Charles caught the cash easy, counting through it just to be sure it was real. At least, he would have counted it all, had his competitor not begun to walk away. Shoving the money in his pocket, Charles dashed to jump in his path, causing the other to stop in his tracks.

"You gonna give me a name after all that or just pay and walk?"

Dark eyes that looked almost red in this light glanced over Charles with seemingly skeptical eyes. "...Carlos."

"Carlos. Name's Charles. How 'bout I treat you to some drinks? Only fair, I'll use your money."

Charles couldn't read the expression on the shorter man's face as he just continued to stare. It was quiet, uncomfortably quiet, and jesus Christ can this guy just talk-

"So long as you're buying."


	2. Chapter 2

_Sometimes, a distance can grow between the two._

* * *

It was a bit of a fight between the two, with Charles wanting to drink at the casino and Carlos wanting to go anywhere else. In the end, the short man's wish was fulfilled, and the two sat on stools a few buildings down, at a place that was strictly a bar. As promised, Charles has used the cash he'd won that night to pay for their drinks; bourbon whiskey for himself, and red wine for Carlos. Plus buying a round for the whole bar, which kept the bartender plenty occupied.

All the while, Carlos had been silent, staring at his drink as if he hadn't watched the bartender pour it even though no one's touched it since. This guy sure was quiet, huh? Charles elbowed the dark haired man, which resulted in a slight flinch and glare.

"I didn' invite you out for drinks just for you to take the money and /not/ have the chance to get to know ya. So why the long face?"

Carlos' resting bitch face faded into a look of... Curiosity? And directed at Charles as they properly made eye contact for the first time. He could already feel his heart jumping into his throat. _Uh oh_.

"You didn't cheat." The voice snapped Charles out of his thoughts, shaking his head slightly as he smirked just like he used to.

"'Course I didn't cheat, you thought I would?"

There wasn't an answer at first, and for a second Charles thought he wouldn't get one at all. But Carlos sighed, running a hand through his hair and turning back to sit straight, staring down to the counter.

"You didn't fuckin' cheat... But you win almost every game. That's not fucking possible."

"Ah, see you've heard of my reputation?"

Carlos blinked a few times before looking back to Charles, this time with more confusion than anything as he held out a hand.

"Lemme introduce myself properly... Carlos D'Amico. Heir to the business." Charles just about did a spit take with his drink, coughing for a few seconds before quickly reaching down to shake the hand, swearing he could feel static crossing between them. "I was... Sent. To check on you, and to kick you out at the first hint of weighted dice or cards in your sleeves. But you're just fucking good at the game... Gotta say, I'm impressed."

The son of the Rose D'Oro Casino's owner. Was fucking impressed with his skill in gambling. Had he not any dignity, Charles swore he would have passed out right then and there. Luckily, he managed to laugh it off instead, breaking the handshake to take a swig of his bottle. "Thanks, but if you're tryna butter me up for something, ain't gonna work. 'Fraid you're gonna have to try harder than that."

Carlos tilted his head a bit at the confidence and, damn him, he smiled. Just a small bit, but definitely noticeable when Charles was looking him up and down like a stack of chips. "Fair 'nough. But honestly, wasn' even supposed t'tell ya that much. In fact, probably'd get disowned for that if it got back around." He had to lean back Carlos leaned forward, clearly trying to bring their faces closer together. Charles was almost done with his bottle, and he hadn't had a drop.

"...did y'put somethin' in my drink?"

Carlos laughed at that, and Charles swore that there was a choir of angel's singing behind it. Was that the whiskey talking? Shit, he sure didn't feel buzzed enough for thoughts like this. He was practically still sober.

"Nah, probably'd get banned from the casino altogether for doin' somethin' like that... So you gonna tell how you're winnin' so much without stacking odds in your favor?"

Charles blinked at him a few times. Was this man really asking him for advice? It sure sounded like that, even though he knew in the back of his mind there was no way. Even still, he couldn't help but keep up the same asshole persona and shove a foot in his mouth.

"How 'bout we play a game of kiss and tell, huh?"

That was a fucking stupid thing to say, Charles knew it as soon as the words came out of his mouth. He was about to apologize and play it off like nothing but a joke, when he felt a hand grab his bowtie and lips crashing into his.

The kiss was messy, and chaotic, and Charles was pretty sure their teeth knocked into each others a few times, obvious neither of them were very experienced, if Carlos was at all. But when they finally pulled away, both of them were out of breath, and Charles was wondering how the other man looked so calm when he was pretty sure his face was melting.

"Kiss. Now tell."

Despite how serious that sounded, Carlos smiled, and Charles knew it was okay to laugh in response. "Would you believe dumb fucking luck? 'Cause that's all I've got to share."

It wasn't more than a second or two later that Charles felt himself being dragged by his arm off the stool and through the crowds, ending in the back of the club. Carlos handed off a hundred to some guards that opened a previously locked employees-only door, and Charles swore he died and went to heaven at the look that resulted once he was pulled inside.

"If you need more motivation, y'coulda just said so~."

* * *

Charles enjoyed every second of the next couple hours, and he loathed the fact that they had to leave eventually. If anyone noticed that the two had accidentally switched ties, or that the neatly combed hair was now far from such, no one commented. Then again, the guards were probably bribed not to notice as Carlos handed them another large bill on the way out.

Both of the two were silent walking through the crowded bar, finally making it out the front door. With Charles looking one way, towards his 'home', and Carlos looking towards the casino, it was obviously they had to go their seperate ways.

"...see you around, then."

Charles' head snapped towards Carlos, who had just started to walk off. Just walk off. After all of that?? He jumped in front of the other's path despite his best judgement.

"Hey- That. Was that. Just a one time thing, or...?"

Carlos always kept an unreadable expression in his eyes, but with a slightly shaking hand, the dark haired man reached into his back pocket, pulling out a die and tossing it in his hand. Not just any die, but...

Before Charles could process anything, Carlos took his hand and placed the hand-crafted rose die in it. The prized possession of the casino, their entire branding and iconic feature, in the palm of Charles' hand.

"Consider that a little collateral. As a promise, that I will see you again."

Charles was still too stunned to stop Carlos from running away towards the casino, leaving him with the small cube in his hand that left a similar pink shade to his face.

* * *

Charles was more than eager to return the next day, when he found posters with his face plastered over the door.

"Permanently Banned For: Cheating, Stealing, and Assault. If you spot him, alert a security guard and we will take care of it"

He read it once. Then twice. Charles read those words probably a dozen times before stumbling backwards, spotting one of the guards out of the corner of his eye and bolting away as fast as he could.

On the top floor of the tall casino, Carlos was watching out the window, feeling a hand with sharp nails dig into his shoulder.

"S'for the best, son. Can't have you gettin' attached in a business like ours."


	3. Chapter 3

_But no matter how far apart they become..._

* * *

Charles died when he was 48. That's thirty years. Thirty years since he'd met the love of his life, had a night of heaven, and felt every piece of his heart be ripped away from him. Thirty years since he swore he'd never love again.

When Charles woke up, he no longer felt the bullet in his chest, the blood staining his clothing. He no longer felt pain, at least not pgtsically, and the uniform he'd been wearing seemed to have disappeared. Ever so slowly, his eyes fluttered open to red buildings everywhere, laying down flat on his stomach in an alley. It took around ten minutes for him to stumble to his feet and remember to walk again before looking over his surroundings in more detail.

People were walking by constantly, not giving him more than half a dismissive glances. But... None of them were human. A quick glance to his own now fuzzy, clawed hands, provided he probably wasn't much human either. And on the wall next to him, a shredded and falling banner hung from the wall, in front of a desk. One that read "Welcome to Hell!" in cursive.

Well. That explains a fucking lot.

* * *

Fifty years. Fifty years since he'd fallen down to hell. At least, he thought so. Charles, now known as Husk, stopped counting somewhere around six months considering time was a joke here. Even now, running a bar and having a consistent schedule and curfew to adhere to, Husk was barely sure what day of the week it was at any given time.

"I GOT NEWS MOTHERFUCKERS-"

Having to deal with obnoxious people like Angel didn't help.

Despite how the other staff members of the hotel turned their head in curiosity, Husk kept his head down and opened another bottle of whiskey. What can he say? It's a good drink. But that didn't stop Angel from taking a seat at the bar to yell at the top of his lungs.

"My brothe' an' sister are gonna be comin' to visit!" That shit-eating grin he always had was still present and Husk just rolled his eyes. Charlie, on the other hand, was ecstatic and ran up to him immediately.

"Angel, that's amazing! Maybe we can convince them to stay for a while! Do you know when they'll be here??"

"Well-"

And of course, at that moment, the door to the hotel swung up, and in come two people that looked a little too spidery for it to be a coincidence. The one with four legs squealed loudly and, before Alastor could even make his way to the door to greet them, was already using all four of her legs to speed towards Angel and nearly tackle him in a hug.

"Molls! So good t'see ya? And back there's gonna be Arackniss, but hell I just call 'im Nico half the time."

Angel received a glare from the shorter arachnid, who brushed off the welcoming handshake and took a seat at the bar, nodding to Husk. Something blurred in the cat's mind when he did that, and the next thing Husk heard was Angel snapped in front of his face.

"Hello? Earth to kitty cat? I'm tryna order a round for them!"

That received a pointed growl, though he listened enough from then on to pass Arackniss some vodka, Angel some brandy, and Molly a margarita. All other conversation that the three had was lost to his ears, only paying attention enough to refill the drinks when necessary. At the moment, his attention was only focused on the black, oldest spider, and his voice.

His voice.

_Why does he seem so familiar?_

Before Husk knew it, Angel was dragging the pair out of the room, and he was left listening to voices he knew and could pinpoint. Most significantly, the one covered in radio filter as Alastor took a seat at the bar, champagne being passed over almost immediately.

"You seemed... Rather distracted this evening, my good friend. Care to discuss why?"

Something on Alastor's face yelled out that he already knew the answer, but Husk? He didn't have a goddamb clue for himself, so he just shrugged the question off. Like hell was he going to explain a weird sense of deja vu to this asshole.

"Just a weird fucking day, that's all. Tired as shit. Probably ought to get some actual sleep for once in my fuckin' life."

Curiosity shone in Alastor's eyes as he tilted his head, trying to read the bartender's expression. But finding nothing that showed a sign of hiding something, he simply stood up and brushed off his coat. "Very well, dear. But should you ever change your mind, I've quite the listening ear in addition to the performer's tongue!"

And with that, Alastor shadowed himself away, leaving Husk to run and empty bar for the next two hours, and do nothing but think.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little short and lazy on this one, sorry about that, but I didnt want to go too far and spoil bits of the last chapter, even if it seems obvious. So stay tuned for the finale~


	4. Chapter 4

_...they'll always find a way back_ _together._

Husk lost track of how long it had been since Angel's family started hanging out at the hotel. In all honesty, he hadn't expected them to be around more than a few days, a week tops. He hadn't expected Charlie to let them stay, considering neither Molly or Arackniss were remotely interested in the concept of redemption. The more energetic of the two spent most of her time running around and introducing herself to everyone that came through the front doors, talking a particular interest in Cherri for who knows what reason. Husk didn't care about that. What he cared about was the short, black spider that insisted on spending every evening taking up a seat at the bar.

Arackniss was rarely talkative, and for the first few weeks, their routine was the same. He would sit down at the bar, Husk would slide him a bottle of something he pointed at (usually red wine, sangria, or just straight vodka), take down at minimum five bottles, and push Husk a stack of cash without asking for the price. It was almost always double the actual cost, but by the time he finished counting it out, Arackniss was gone. And that really pissed him off some days.

His voice sounded _so_ damn familiar, and Husk just couldn't figure out why. It was impossible to try and understand it when the spider didn't talk to anyone besides Angel most of the time. So he had to take some kind of action, that much was obvious.

On this particular night, something had obviously been bothering Niss much more than usual, because he about drank the entire stash of wine, vodka, and a few other types that they had. Husk panicked when he watched the other reach into his pocket as typically to pull out the money, he had to say something now or never.

"Don't bother. S'on the house."

Arackniss immediately froze, glancing up to the bartender and quickly searching his eyes for any sign of a trick. "How much of it was poisoned?"

Husk took a few seconds to process the phrase before scoffing. "None of it, I'd lose my fuckin' job if I did that. Can't I just give a loyal customer a discount without it bein' suspicious?"

Apparently not, because the glare of Niss' golden eyes didn't stop. Not when he took the cash out anyway and put it on the table, not when Husk pushed it back at him, not when he reluctantly took the money back and pocketed it again. Somehow despite the anger, Husk was able to see the pain present in them had faded, if only a small bit. And though it hadn't happened in many years, Husk felt the side of his mouth curl into a smile.

"…thanks." Then Arackniss was gone again, and Husk was once again left alone wondering what the hell happened to his heart for it to start beating this fast.

* * *

From that point on, the routine changed slightly. Arackniss was slightly more talkative, and though it was rare he said more than one sentence at a time, it was clear that he wasn't quite as standoffish as before. That's progress, and at least when he was talking Husk could focus on his voice more. Though, by this point, he wasn't sure if he was trying to figure out where he'd heard it from, or if he just liked the sound of Niss' voice. Maybe a bit of both.

"Y'ever had Michter's whiskey?" Husk was given a skeptical look. "I know, it's an American brand, but I swear it's good shit. Kinda expensive, but managed to snag a bottle from the black market demons that sneak it from the surface. So you want some?"

Arackniss was really only fond of brands coming from his home country of Italy, with a preference for those in Rome. Still, it didn't stop him from pushing out a glass for it to be poured. Husk knew him better than that, and knocked it aside, reaching under the counter to pick out a bottle for each of them to drink from directly.

"Best shit I ever had, I swear. Couldn't afford it all that much while I was alive, but the good stuff gets you drink twice as fast as cheap booze. Probably somethin' to do with havin' a good opinion on it swaying your thoughts, I don't know."

By the time Husk finished talking, Niss had already taken the top of the bottle off with his teeth (and damn, that was eye-catching everytime it happened), and he was already about halfway done with it. And still drinking. Fuck, this guy could really hold his liquor.

Only once the bottle was finished did Arackniss give a slight shrug, sitting the bottle down. Another few seconds, and Husk swore he nearly passed out when Niss smiled at him.

"Yeah, not bad… For an' American brand."

Husk couldn't help it; he laughed. He _actually_ laughed, for the first time in who knows how many decades. With his eyes closed and wiping tears from them, he missed the way Niss' fur fluffed up at the sound or how the spider's eyes were on him up until Husk was looking back again.

"S-shit.. Next time show me your favorite, and we'll compare then. How about that?"

"Fair 'nough."

* * *

It had to have been at least a few months now, of Husk trying to make enough money during the day to cover the free drinks Arackniss would have that evening, of them talking more each night, topics shifting from the hotel, to its patrons, and finally to each other. Stories of how they were during life, their childhood, their hobbies and jobs. Anything, really, but the subject of tonight's discussion was family. Apparently a sensitive topic for both of them.

"I didn't really have much family growin' up. Started off in the foster system, and no matter how much I ran away from all the fucking pricks, they kept dragging me back. I'm telling you, couldn't wait for the day I turned eighteen and they couldn't hold me there anymore."

Arackniss nodded in response, taking some sips of his bottle of wine. Red, obviously, white wine was an abomination. "Wish I could'a done the same. I mean, siblings weren't too bad, Tony and Molls were just as stuck as I was. But my fathe' was pretty damn shit. For about a dozen reasons."

Silence for a few seconds, it was clear he hadn't planned on elaborating. "How's that, then? What'd he do, kill some fuckers?"

The bottle of red wine was sat down in favor of Arackniss scratching nervously at his wrist. "…yeah, you could say that. Bein' part'a the Italian mafia, s'kinda part of the job." Husk raised an eyebrow at that, but made no move to interrupt otherwise. "Had this big casino we ran as a front for the whole business, real easy to hide how much money you're earnin' when everyone spends thousands a day there. Much as I liked runnin' the bar there or playing the games, woulda been better if all that wasn't the reason for it."

Husk nodded in response, and it seemed for the first time he was actually intently listening to a story. He couldn't really help that, anything with gambling drew his interest. "Actually was kinda raised by casinos, sneaking in the back doors and all that. Made a pretty good fuckin' name in poker and craps for myself back then. That’s pretty much how I made my living for a good for years."

It seemed Niss was still too lost in thought to process those words, so Husk gave a gentle shove to his shoulder. He'd already learned he was allowed to do things like that, they were at least sort of close enough. "Alright, you're overthinkin' shit. Spill."

"…Mafia thing was kinda the shittiest family to be born into. And it ain't just killing people and all that, it's that you're not allowed to trust fuckin' anyone.." He sighed, running a hand through his hair, another gesture that made Husk's heart jump into his throat everytime he saw it. "Already told y'about Harold a while ago, but… There was another guy back then, met 'im at the casino. And fuck, he knew the game, was good at it without explanation. Henry kicked 'im out once he found out we… Talked. Banned 'im from the casino completely. Never got to see 'im again. Sometimes wonder what happened to the fucker…"

Husk took a few seconds to process that story. It sounded really, really fucking familiar. "…wouldn' happen to be the Rose D'Oro Casino in Vegas, would it?"

"Yeah, why'd y'ask?"

Suddenly, that familiar voice made a little bit more sense.

He nearly knocked the wine bottle off the table on accident, scrambling to hold it steady as he reached into his pocket with one hand. With a shaking hand, Husk pulled out a very old and faded black and gold die, with a rose in place of the one, placing inbetween them on the table. Naturally, Niss' eyes widened.

"…I think.. This is yours?"

More silence. Uncomfortable silence as they both just stared at the object on the table. And then Husk felt his bowtie being pulled on and, contrary to the feeling he was about to receive a punch, lips were crashing into his and _holy shit fucking Arackniss was kissing him-_

Husk swore he blacked out for a few seconds, because when he was coherent enough to know what was going on, the kiss was already over and he was lightheaded with both of them grabbing onto each other's shirts.

"…oh my god, it's fucking you-" It took a monumental amount of effort for Husk to just say that at the moment. He was pretty sure every bit of fur on his body was standing up straight in the air, his ears were pressed flat against his head, and damn his tail was moving happily, wasn't it?

Husk could feel his soul leaving his body as Niss smiled at him, truly and openly smiled. "…it's always been you…"

* * *

_Soulmates are connected through time and space._

_Sometimes a distance can grow between the two._

_But no matter how far apart they become…_

_…they'll always find a way back together._

_For better or worse_

_Through sickness and in health_

_Two souls were made for each other_

_And when they come together_

_All the broken pieces find their other halves_

_And they are whole once again_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Predictable? Maybe. But soft nonetheless, so I'm happy with this. May write the [redacted] scene from chapter 2 as a bonus later- But for now, this is the end. Hope you enjoyed <3 Also, the soulmate bits at the beginning of each chapter and the end of this one were of my own creation, hence why there's no author atribution


End file.
